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Angels abound as Rachel Podger joins with VOCES8 for a collaborative exploration built around music from her Guardian Angel album.

A new ukulele concerto performed by Jake Shimabukuro was the centerpiece of a concert featuring four works inspired by the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the Hawaiian Islands.

Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad opens with a programme of beautiful music and a pair of fine soloists, but a concert somewhat let down by a lack of rapport between soloists and orchestra.

For whatever reason, performers have always seemed to fear the fourth wall. They are content to let their music speak for itself, and any attempt to address the audience verbally is often considered lowbrow. This makes sense in some regards, as it facilitates the image of performer as master and lends artistic integrity to the music.

On Monday night the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts hosted a debut recital of internationally acclaimed German soprano Diana Damrau and her concert accompanist, French harpist Xavier de Maistre.